Course Description:
Travel, by nature, initiates a moral, cultural, and somatic (bodily) confrontation with “other” (places, people, food, culture, political systems, etc.) This immersive change renders us vulnerable and threatens personal, social, and cultural serenity. We will read plays (Italian, American, and others as relevant) as the lens through which we explore how travel changes and informs our sense of self (i.e. cultural/political assumptions; basic moral beliefs and their metaphysical assumptions; and Persona (Jungian definition)). We will consider how art struggles with nihilism: “the fear that our lives and the world itself may be meaningless.” Through the plays, analysis, and reflection we consider two paths of response: Live life to stay out of trouble OR delve into the shadow and live life to look for trouble.

Course Description:
Students will use the marketing concept of satisfying customer wants and needs to learn and critique the marketing functions (product, price, place, promotion, and people) of local & global businesses. While studying in Italy, we will explore similarities and differences in the marketing functions between the US and Europe.
Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

Understanding how and why people behave the way they do and how that behavior affects individual teams and organizational performance is an essential skill for business management. Topics include motivation, diversity and culture. We will leverage the opportunity of studying in Italy to better understand the role of culture in organizational performance.
Pre-requisite: Junior standing.

Fulfills ICS and IN 350 Requirement: Complete three reflective papers and discuss in Italy

Course Description:
We will study the life of Galileo Galilei in the locations of his most significant contributions – from his academic posts at Pisa and Padua to the demonstrations of his telescopes in Florence and Rome for the Medici, the Pope, and other nobility. As the father of the modern scientific method, basic physics, and modern astronomy, the significance of Galileo’s contributions cannot be overstated.

Those taking the course for lab-science credit (PY 160) will perform Galileo’s studies of falling bodies and his discovery of the law of inertia, which completely contradicted Aristotle’s widely held (but incorrect) views on fundamental physics. We will also meet in the evenings to reproduce many of Galileo’s astronomical observations of the planets, including the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus. (All are welcome to attend these viewing sessions.)

We will also discuss Galileo’s interactions with the Catholic Church and other politically powerful groups, including the Medici and the Jesuits. The magnitude of Galileo’s achievements becomes even more impressive when we consider the circumstances under which he worked, spoke, and published. Scientists were under considerable scrutiny from the Catholic Church, and the threat of death was still imminent. Bruno, for instance, had recently been burned at the stake for postulating – correctly – that the Sun is just one of many stars. The interplay between science, religion, and politics was fascinating in Galileo’s time, and is no less impactful today. Those taking the class as an IN 350 will explore these timeless and globally important topics in especially great detail.

This course includes additional full day trip to Padua & Pisa, in addition to the travel and culture package all Urbania students receive.

*Part of the foundational material for the course may be done on campus during the spring 2016 semester, as part of the PY 100 (The Planets) and/or PY 104 (The Planets Lab) courses that I already teach, but this is not required.

Course Description:
The Aesthetics of Art and Antiques is a course designed to encourage students to appreciate fine art and antiques from an aesthetic perspective based on connoisseurship, and demonstrate to students’ methodologies for collecting and acquiring fine art and antiques, and challenging students to understand the risk and rewards of investing in fine art and antiques. We live in a material culture. Our experiences have primed us as citizens of this amazing culture to want to learn more about the objects around us. There is no better way to research and learn about collecting antiques and fine art than visiting shops and museums in Italy and giving students the ultimate hands on experience with the world of antiquities. Students will have the opportunity to learn about the economics and challenges of importing objects for resale in the U.S.

Financial Support

Millikin International Fellows Program

The International Fellows Program offers an opportunity for students with financial need to study abroad.Students should pick up a Fellowship Application in the Center for International Education (SH 205). All applications will be due the first Friday of March to the CIE. The program is open to all full-time, traditional undergraduate students in their sophomore, junior, and senior years. Students should have a Millikin University grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher. Award amounts are between $500 - $2,500. For more information, contact Briana Stephens, bstephens@millikin.edu.

Loans Programs

ederal Direct Parent PLUS Loan: Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits during the Summer Program. The Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) requires successful completion of a credit check. The interest rate is 6.31% and there is a 4.276% origination fee. Repayment begins 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed – or the loan can be deferred upon the parent’s request.

Private/Alternative Educational Loan: Students will need a credit-worthy co-borrower. Interest rates will vary from lender to lender. Students should allow approximately 4 weeks for the Alternative loan to process.

To discuss loan programs, please see Nancy Askins in the Student Service Center – Shilling Hall - or email naskins@millikin.edu​